Heathens
by Atarashii Tanjou
Summary: Welcome to Konoha Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Please enjoy your stay. One-shot turned multi-chapter fic. GaaSaku, NaruHina and various others. Rated M for suggestive content.
1. Heathens

The room was dark. The chains around her body clinked as she shifted, just _itching_ to get free and show that man guarding her who was _really_ in control. What was his name? Oh, that's right. _Uchiha Sasuke_. Born and bred from a prominent clan, his older brother showing such promise before being caught as one of the inner leaders of the criminal ring, Akatsuki. Uchiha Itachi now resided in her very own Hospital for the Criminally Insane.

Sakura lifted her head slightly, shaking the pink hair out of her face. Sasuke stood with his back to the bars, pistol in his holster, police gear tight and contoured to his chest. She grinned, the smile predatory in nature as she imagined taking him apart. She licked her dry lips, her fingers clenched around the pin Naruto had slipped her in the mess hall. " _All my friends are heathens, take it slow…"_

From his cell across the way, Naruto lifted his head, formerly downcast to unlock his face covering. His sharp teeth gleamed as he opened his mouth to sing along, eyes glinting dangerously. " _Wait for them to ask you who you know…"_ Sasuke's eyes jerked from Sakura to Naruto, his hand shifting closer to his pistol, the other grasping his radio. Naruto's smile extended further, stretching muscles that hadn't been used much in months.

In a cell of solitary confinement, Tobi, his mask covering all of his face but one eye, lent his own voice to the melody. " _Please don't make any sudden moves…"_ The man crawled to the door of his blackened cell, grasping at the cold metal. His mask pressed against the slot for food, his fingers wandering cautiously outwards with a bent fork.

In the last room, furthest from the door, another voice echoed. " _You don't know the half of the abuse…"_ Black-rimmed eyes opened in the darkness, chains rattling and straining against the force applied to them. Stalking into the light, Sabaku no Gaara was a frightening sight. The red kanji on his forehead, backed by hair the color of blood, and a dangerous, twisted smile filled with dark promise.

Sasuke eyed the darkened cells. It was 2:47 am, and despite himself, he was tired. His Sharingan activated without his consent at the niggling concern of an escape. He casually radioed Tsunade and Kakashi, reporting the situation, and snorted at their replies. "Tch." A light caress on his side pulled him from his thoughts. He turned, incredulous, and saw Sakura, smiling sweetly.

Magnetic jade eyes held his attention, the beautiful color hiding demons in their depths. "Sasuke-kun…" She pouted, her red dress slipping as she shifted in the chains. A teasing glimpse of cleavage beckoned, and she leaned forward, lip trapped temptingly between her teeth. "It's so lonely in here… Why don't you come in and entertain me?" Her voice dropped an octave, taking on a new meaning and attempting to stoke his ego. " _All my friends are heathens, take it slow…"_

Naruto was now at the bars of his cell, the mask dangling from his neck. Hyuuga Hinata, the guard assigned to his cell, blushed at his proximity. "N-Naruto-kun, you have to stay back, remember?" Sasuke rolled his eyes at her tentative nature, his face sour as he remembered Tsunade's approach to Naruto. _Maybe her sweetness will calm his rage._ The blonde psychotic smiled at her, beckoning her closer and whispering in her ear. Hinata blushed again, her hand going to rest on her side, just above her pocket. Naruto sang, his voice husky. " _Wait for them to ask you who you know…"_

Sasuke twitched slightly, disturbed by the general ambiance of the asylum. It wasn't the only time that the inmates broke into song at odd hours, but this seemed different, somehow. Almost… coordinated. His mind immediately pushed the notion aside, blaming his exhaustion and his conversation with Itachi earlier.

Tobi whispered against the grate. " _Please don't make any sudden moves…"_ His single eye gleamed in the low light. A rat scampered past, disguising the sound of the fork scratching the metal, searching for the lock.

Gaara's soft growl filled the hallway with a dangerous croon. " _You don't know the half of the abuse…"_ The chains swayed and clamored as his body pulled against them, and, unnoticed in the din, one cuff dropped to the floor.

Sakura pressed her body against the bars. Sasuke stiffened, feeling her breasts against his elbow. "C'mon, Sasuke-kun, you know who's in charge here. Whenever you want me down, I go down. Whatever you want, I have to do. What would you do with that control," she whispered against his neck, "if _you_ were _in here_ with _me_?" The Uchiha felt his body respond to the implications of her statement, and groaned under his breath.

A new voice joined the song. " _Welcome to the room of people who have rooms of people that they loved one day, docked away. Just because we check the guns at the door doesn't mean our brains will change, from hand grenades."_ Sasuke's eyes widened as Itachi, strapped to his cot, spoke the verse, his voice weak from disuse.

" _You'll never know the psychopath sitting next to you… You'll never know the murderer sitting next to you… You think "How did I get here, sitting next to you?", but after all I've said, please don't forget…"_ A blow to the back of his knee dropped Sasuke to his knees in front of Sakura, who beamed behind him. His head turned, eyes widened in shock, right into Hinata's punch. His head swam with pain. A slow screech filled the short silence, and Sasuke gaped as the cell doors opened as one. Hinata smiled gently and helped Sakura untangle her lithe form from the chains, before aiding the other prisoners.

" _All my friends are heathens, take it slow. Wait for them to ask you who you know. Please don't make any sudden moves. You don't know the half of the abuse."_ Naruto approached, wrapping his arms around Hinata and kissing her desperately, like a dehydrated man presented with water. Tobi supported Itachi, Konan on his other side, and Sakura ran into the arms of Sabaku no Gaara, her hands frantic against his face, shoulders, and chest, her eyes watering and a smile on her lips. She turned back to Sasuke, a glimmer of pity in her eyes as she observed the Uchiha, collapsed on his side, his body held down with discarded chains, eyes glaring balefully at the escaping prisoners.

" _Why'd you come, you know you should have stayed."_ Her voice was softer now, almost tender. " _I tried to warn you just to stay away. And now they're outside, ready to bust…"_ Sasuke struggled, thrashing back and forth, and began lashing out with feet and fists at the closest inmates to him. His brow creased in confusion and dawning horror when the people around him began to smear and disappear. " _It looks like you might be one of us."_

"...ke...Sasuke! Uchiha Sasuke, wake up! Sas- Sedate him! Sedate him, and then restrain him again." Sakura grimaced, one hand cushioning the angry flesh of her cheek, where Sasuke had landed a lucky punch. She swept out of the room, taking solace in the arms of her Kazekage, Naruto staying a bit longer with Hinata, gazing sadly at the madman that had once been their dear friend.

 _ **A/N - I hope you enjoyed reading this - I know I certainly enjoyed writing it! Please leave a review - it motivates me to write more. Thank you!**_


	2. Sound of Silence

Bundled in black, a figure huddled at the corner of his cell, fingers twitching at the urge to scratch. He couldn't possibly hurt his friends, so he merely pushed his dark glasses further up his nose and hid his face in his high collar.

Shino was tired. Tired of the constant screams of his cell neighbor, Uchiha Sasuke. The man was constantly sedated and restrained, the use of his Mangekyou Sharingan having driven him insane. It was clear that he was going to be here the rest of his life. Shino, however, pondered his own situation.

His beautiful friends crawled over his skin, itching him delicately with their well-formed appendages. He spoke to them, caressing the beautiful exoskeletons when he dared. He had learned not to scratch - the sight of his blood repelled them, and until the scabs healed, he was never able to catch sight of even the largest beetles. So, Shino bore the torturous walking of his tiny companions, rocking in the corner of his cell.

" _Hello, darkness, my old friend… I've come to talk with you again. Because a vision softly creeping, left its seeds while I was sleeping. And the vision that was planted in my brain still remains within the sound of silence."_ Sasuke shifted restlessly in the next cell, his voice too raw to curse Shino. The creepy man suffered from delusional parasitosis, based on the information he'd gleaned from Sakura. Shino was a special case, though - he believed that the "insects" crawling on his skin were his favored companions, and avoided scratching his skin open for fear that his "friends" would leave him until the skin healed again.

" _...the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls, and tenement halls, and whispered in the sound of silence."_ Shino's voice dwindled to a mere whisper. Darkness surrounded him, intense in its coagulation, before a light shone through the blackened cell.

"Aburame Shino? Ah, gomen ne. Sakura-san is ready for your assessment." The assistant shifted uncomfortably as Shino stood slowly. He touched the corner softly, whispering a few words before nodding curtly and following the medical assistant out. After all, his dear friends would always wait for him.

 _ **A/N - Thank you for the lovely reviews thus far! There are a few things I'd like to address. I got mixed reviews about "This Little Girl". First, if you are going to review, please sign in or give me some way to respond. I am not a fan of SasuKarin either, Guest-chan, but it fit with the plot line I was going for. To the other guest with the rude words, I'm sorry that my work rubbed you the wrong way - you should get that checked out. :) Secondly, I'm giving a shout-out to Sakura-Fairy-Tail and AshesandInk. :) You two are awesome! I am, due to feedback received, continuing Heathens, which has been renamed to Colors of Darkness. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy what's to come!**_


	3. You Don't Own Me

Sakura's eyes opened slowly, the constricting fabric rough against her cheek. Stretching, she yawned, opening a single eye to peer down at her feet, still dangling above the ground. The pinkette rolled her green eyes and glared at the nameless, faceless guard. Who he was, was of no concern of hers. Besides, much in the manner of Izumo and Kotetsu, he was otherwise… occupied.

The pink-haired inmate pushed herself forward, catching her fall with her hands and flipping gracefully onto her feet. She noted absentmindedly that a new punching bag had been hung in her cell, and that Gaara was back in his cell. Blowing her bangs out of her face, she picked up the metal cup, filled with sweetened tea, and sipped demurely, studying the comings and goings of the individuals out in the corridor. Swirling her tea, she placed it down on a whim and propelled herself to her feet.

Clicking a single button, the Ipod began playing _her_ song. The familiar anger began bubbling within her, like a pot left on to boil, and Sakura ripped her T-shirt over her head, hurling it at the stiff cot and donning her gloves. " _You don't own me… I'm not just one of your many toys."_ Her knee connected solidly with the punching bag, sending it swinging, and she met its return with three punches, her teeth gritting. " _You don't own me… Don't say I can't go with other boys…"_ Her eyes sparkled as the last of rage drained from her in a barrage of punches. The guard eyed her hesitantly.

After every rush, Sakura was always greeted with cheers and calls from her fellow inmates. This time was no different, except Sakura had a new _toy_ to play with. She cast her eyes down, smiling shyly and quickly glancing up at the new piece of meat guarding her cell. _How kind they are, to give me new toys when the other ones break._

She picked up the still-hot tea, cupping it close to her. " _Don't tell me what to do, and don't tell me what to say. Please, when I go out with you, don't put me on display…"_ The pinkette moved whimsically, dancing slowly to the music, her eyes closed. The guard turned halfway to see her more clearly. " _You don't own me; don't try to change me in any way. You don't own me; don't tie me down, cuz I never stay."_ She grinned behind the curtain of her long hair, and jolted forward, lunging towards the guard at the bars. The scalding liquid left its cup in a beautiful arc, splattering in the face and eyes of the unfortunate guard.

" _Don't tell me what to do, and don't tell me what to say. Please, when I go out with you, don't put me on display!"_ The guard screamed, his hands coming up to shield his face, and Sakura skidded forward, following her momentum and knocking the guard's feet out from under him. Rendered defenseless from her attack on his eyes, and now, his feet, the poor boy fell to land heavily on his right shoulder, a sickening crunch signaling the dislocation of his shoulder.

" _I don't tell you what to say, I don't tell you what to do, so just let me be myself - that's all I ask of you! I'm young, and I love to be young; I'm free, and I love to be free to live my life the way I want, to say and do whatever I please!"_ Grasping the bars, Sakura giggled, stretching a hand out towards Gaara's cell, watching his face twitch in amusement. Glancing at the furious woman approaching her quarters, she laughed, twisting away to kneel civilly by her tea and Ipod. "Thanks for the new punching bag, Tsunade-chan!" The pinkette threw an amused look at the young man moaning in pain on the floor. "You do know how much I love my toys."

 _ **A/N - I love my creative license. For any wondering, Sakura is suffering from Intermittent Explosive Disorder, with a (un)healthy dose of Shared Psychotic Disorder. You can thank Suicide Squad for some of the ideas, with the lovely score and music selection. Truth be told, I love the song - it's very empowering. With a dash of crazy, it becomes... this. In any case, I hope you enjoyed, and please, leave me a review! It helps a lot. :)**_


	4. The Greatest

The sun was up. He knew so, because 'ba-chan had placed him specifically where the light shone in his eyes. Scowling lightly, he twisted his head away, the scars on his cheeks tingling in the cool air. Electric blue eyes opened, and Naruto woke up.

Standing and stretching, he purred as his spine aligned, the movement forcing a yawn out of him. Grinning, Naruto laced his hands together behind his head and leaned against the bars. Tsunade was making a round, muttering about the incompetence of the guards, and she paused next to his cell. "Ohayou, 'ba-chan."

Her eye twitched at his greeting, and she held up a mask. Specifically, it was his mouth guard, designed to keep him from using his teeth on anyone. He could do considerable damage with just his jaws, a fact he was proud of. "Care to tell me how you got out of this, and why it was stuck to the ceiling with chewing gum?" A vein was pulsing visibly in her forehead, but Naruto just grinned, chuckling.

"It was clever, wasn't it?! C'mon, 'ba-chan! You can't tell me you didn't laugh a little at that!" Naruto whined the end of the sentence. Tsunade's mouth ticked - there was _no way_ she was going to tell him that he had gotten a snicker out of her. A narcissist with no small amount of psychosis, Naruto could pass for a normal person when he wanted to. He could be charming, but most of the time, he was just mischievous. She sighed heavily, eyeing the piece with disgust, and raising an eyebrow at him.

"You've been behaving very well lately. Don't make me regret this decision." Blue eyes blinked at her once, twice, before excitement burst on his face, bringing forth a brilliant smile. He thanked her vigorously, doing a victory dance, and Tsunade walked on, rolling her eyes with a small smile on her lips.

" _Uh oh, running out of breath, but I, oh I, I got stamina."_ Naruto hummed to himself, sliding down to sit against the only wall that separated him from his dearest Hinata. " _Uh oh, running now I close my eyes, but oh, oh, I got stamina."_ He rested his head against the rough wall, closing his eyes and falling into himself. " _Uh oh, I see another mountain to climb, but I, I got stamina. Uh oh, I need another lover, be mine, cuz I, I got stamina."_ He heard a faint sigh on the other side of the wall and smiled, getting up.

" _Don't give up, I won't give up. Don't give up, no no no."_ He waited for a moment, laughing when he heard her quiet response. " _I'm free to be the greatest, I'm alive. I'm free to be the greatest here tonight."_ Hinata quietly sang with him, and though he couldn't see her, he could touch her. Standing at the bars at the furthest corner of his cell, he could hold her hand. " _Don't give up, I won't give up. Don't give up, no no no. Don't give up, I won't give up, don't give up, no no no!"_ Naruto squeezed her hand, the demon in his mind content with the contact. " _The greatest, the greatest, alive…"_ Naruto closed, feeling Kurama within him and Hinata against his palm, and smiled. "Believe it."

 _ **A/N - I always thought Naruto was a bit too confident at times. This makes sense to me, in this light. I hope you enjoyed it, and please tell me what you thought. :)**_


	5. Serial Killer

Hinata knew she was broken. She'd figured that out years ago, though from what, she wasn't sure. She didn't particularly care, though, not when everything was working so _well_. She still didn't care, even though she was in a concrete cell, strapped to her bed when she had a bad day. No, instead she would close her eyes and _watch_.

All of her memories were in one place under the sedative, and she could watch them play like a movie on a big screen. Everything sharpened and focused, like using her kekkei genkai to see it all again. She usually skipped past her childhood, but lingered on her dearest ones. Naruto, Sakura, all her companions through everything, even madness. Sometimes, while watching, she would slip into a dream, imagining things that could have been different, and things that she'd love to come to pass.

She woke at evening, her feet still secured to the cot, and she untangled herself from it, sweeping her hair back from her face. It was getting so long, too long, but last time she'd been around scissors, she'd… misbehaved. She didn't regret that. What she did regret was being unable to see Naruto, as was her punishment. It wasn't really her fault - she couldn't control herself at times. One moment, everything would seem fine, and the next, Pain was stabbing a steel rod through her body. When she returned after each episode, blood would stain her hands, her Byakugan would be active, and staff would rush to restrain her or pull her from the soul unfortunate enough to have triggered her.

Hinata knew she was broken. It didn't take a genius like Shikamaru to figure that out. One didn't see the things they all did, have the determination, or commit the atrocities they were bound to do without sustaining cracks in their sanity. And even though she was broken, Hinata found someone else who wasn't whole either, but still saw her, and loved what he saw. And she loved him more for it.

Her cell door opened, and her guards approached, cautious. They avoided getting too close, but Hinata saw their faces and sighed. "Y-you're n-n-new." Her stutter had strengthened, her anxiety worsening around those she didn't know. High spikes in her anxiety triggered her episodes - her episodes usually led to the injury of her older guards, and new ones were instituted with careful directions not to get too close, treating her like a cornered animal… and the cycle would restart. She stood and opened her eyes, walking forward and allowing them to shadow her.

The mess hall was chaotic, as usual. Naruto was laughing, Lee was trying to eat too much (again), and Sakura's temper was flaring. A quiet touch from Gaara calmed her, and Sasuke sat beside Neji and Tenten. Kakashi leaned against a pillar, his familiar orange book in front of him. Tsunade was sitting in the corner table, observing, with Kurenai and Shizune beside her. Jiraiya, still not fully healed from Pain's attack, sat with Tsunade, talking quietly. Hinata sighed, coming back to herself, and saw her guards shift nervously. She closed her pale eyes, grasping onto the song she needed, the one that would keep her grounded.

" _Wish I may, wish I might find my one true love tonight. Do you think that he could be you?"_ The two guards stiffened, hearing her voice for the first time. Naruto turned, his blue eyes widening at her sweet song before grinning, calling her over. " _If I pray really tight, get into a fake bar fight while I'm walking down the avenue… If I lay really quiet, I know that what I do isn't right… I can't stop what I love to do."_ The noise seemed to die as she wove between tables, knowing the obstacles but not _seeing_ them. There was only him, her Naruto. Her Hokage.

" _So I murder love in the night, watching them fall one by one, they fight… Do you think you'll love me too?"_ Naruto smiled at her, his voice joining hers in a duet, something she missed. Singing with him, seeing him, she missed it all. She filed away these moments for the next time she, inevitably, misbehaved. Returning to the present, she slid into the seat next to her love, twining their hands together and relishing the contact.

" _Baby, I'm a sociopath, sweet serial killer, on the warpath 'cause I love you just a little too much, I love you just a little too much…"_ Hinata sipped her tea. " _You can see me drinking cherry cola, sweet serial killer, I left a love note, said you know I love the thrill of the rush. You know I love the thrill of the rush."_ She leaned her head against Naruto's shoulder, her eyes closing.

A new voice sang. " _Sweet serial killer… do it for the thrill of the rush. Love you just a little too much, much."_ Hinata recognized Sakura's sound and relaxed. Her guards stood awkwardly for a moment before retreating to Tsunade's table. Sakura's soprano tangled with Gaara's baritone.

" _My black fire's burning bright, maybe I'll go out tonight. We can paint the town in blue. I'm so hot, I ignite, dancing in the dark and I shine. Like a light, I'm luring you…"_ Sakura leaned into Gaara's touch, his arms tightening around her. " _Sneak up on you, really quiet; whisper, "Am I what your heart desires?" I could be your ingenue."_ Gaara's face softened as his blossom snuggled closer, sighing.

Hinata took a breath. " _Keep you safe and inspired, baby, let your fantasies unwind. We can do what you want to do…"_ Naruto chuckled, squeezing her hand. " _Baby, I'm a sociopath, sweet serial killer, on the warpath 'cause I love you just a little too much, I love you just a little too much… You can see me drinking cherry cola, sweet serial killer, I left a love note, said you know I love the thrill of the rush. You know I love the thrill of the rush."_ Locking eyes with Sakura, Hinata nodded. A smile spread across her face as a potato took flight... Right onto the forehead of the current Hokage, Tsunade. And all hell broke loose.

" _Sweet serial killer… love you just a little too much, love you just a little too much, much."_ The Hyuuga heiress laughed, holding onto her hero, kissing him and cherishing the fleeting moments. After all, the clock was still ticking, and they weren't out yet.

 _ **A/N - I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I had a lot of fun with it. Also, if you have any songs to recommend for future chapters, please either review or PM me about them! Thank you so much, and I'll see you next time!**_


	6. One Last Time

Gaara often wondered if he was dreaming. He could usually tell when he was awake, but on occasion, the positivity he was surrounded with on his road to healing baffled him. During his sessions with Tsunade, they talked about his difficulty grasping reality as concrete. He freely admitted to his difficulty relating to others, his longing for affection, and his struggle to accept what love he received as genuine. On an intellectual level, Gaara knew that his upbringing and his status as a Jinchuuriki were to blame, as well as the neurological damage dealt by long exposure to Shukaku. But, emotionally, he was insecure. He had done terrible things, and Shukaku, still a shadow within him, hissed that he was unworthy of love, of support, of redemption. In his weakest moments, when the raw emotion overwhelmed him, Gaara believed it.

There were days when he questioned whether things would ever improve. Days when, for whatever reason, he lacked the energy to get up, to face another day of therapy, to see the worry in her eyes. There were nights when he thrashed on his cot, sometimes screaming, sometimes crying, but always tortured. Merciful nights without sleep were few - he was unused to constant insomnia, and his progress in facing his fears would drop off. There were times when, despite his desperate attempts to control it, his rage would build and spiral out of control. Gaara would momentarily merge with Shukaku, and Tsunade often was forced to bring Sakura in. The pinkette had a hold on his heart, a hold strong enough to pull him out of his fog half the time. Otherwise, she would reluctantly secure him in his bindings, chakra-infused chains designed to restrict, but not drain.

After every "episode", shame, sorrow, and pain would consume him. Though the time between episodes had extended, the emotions grew stronger and more seductive, slipping past his defenses and catching him unawares. Their hold was tougher to break, and when Naruto couldn't reach him deeply enough, Tsunade brought Sakura. Even with his love for her, it was exhausting and strenuous to break the surface and return to himself. Sakura held him gently as he shuddered and gasped, stroking his hair gently and murmuring to him.

After particularly bad nights, Gaara was given comfort. As with others held from their lovers, Tsunade allowed visits and even nights together. An extra guard was often posted as a precaution, but Gaara never paid much mind to them. If they were abrasive, the sand constantly protecting him would put them in their place. Nevermind that his method of discipline occasionally landed him in solitary confinement - his time with Sakura was far too precious to be corrupted with the perversions of others.

Gaara's eyes opened, unseeing, still caught in the horror of his dreams, tears wetting the pillow as Shukaku hissed mockingly from the darkest recesses of his soul. Aware of his tenuous grip on reality, he scrabbled for something, _anything_ to keep him in control, keep him sane long enough for her to arrive and help him ground himself again. A whisper of song slipped past his lips.

" _It's so dark here… the light never comes… Thinking of my future, is there one to come?"_ Another tear slipped past his defenses. " _Don't say you won't be here tonight, just one last time…"_ His eyes closed, caught in the melody.

" _Don't you leave me here alone, trapped in my, in my mind all alone, why can't I…"_ His voice took on a tone of longing. " _...find a way out?"_ The now-familiar waves of guilt and sadness rose up, ready to swallow him. Yet, Gaara latched onto that single strain of song, clutching it like a buoi.

" _Oh… the voices seem to fade when you are here… All the voices seem to fade when you are here…"_ There was distant chatter at the entrance to his cell, but Gaara was past caring of such trivialities. " _Cast me away; leave me with my angry thoughts. Then you will be free. You pushed me aside, let me drown, let me die, pushed me aside to flee..."_ The echoes of his tragic melody crowded closer, like an unwelcome embrace, dampening his sense of reality and nudging him closer to Shukaku's influence.

" _Don't say you won't be here tonight, just one last time… Don't you leave me here alone, trapped in my, in my mind all alone, why can't I… find a way out?"_ His cell opened, but Gaara closed his eyes, wrapped in shame and shadowed by doubt. Footsteps dragged closer, and he curled tighter, a fetal position on a hard cot, his hands clutching his own torso for imagined comfort.

A light touch graced his forehead, right above the red kanji engraved on his temple. " _Oh, the voices seem to fade when you are here… All the voices seem to fade when you are here."_ Her voice, ever sweet, chased the shadows from his mind, and Gaara found the strength to open his eyes. Teal met jade, and the jinchuuriki let himself crumble. Sakura held him through his tears, silent, yet vocal in ways that mattered. Words were often meaningless - her hands smoothed his shoulders, sifted through his unkempt hair, and she pressed intermittent kisses to his skin, murmuring inaudibly. Gaara felt her heart beating against his cheek, all the confirmation he needed. _I am loved. I am wanted. I will fight through this._

 ** _A/N - This chapter was easier than the others to write, but also harder. As someone that struggles with depression and has been suicidal in the past, it's easy for me to associate deeply with the Gaara that I wrote here. Also, the song is "One Last Time" by Amarante. They seem to be a bit more obscure than most artists. :) I hope you enjoyed, and please tell me what you thought!_**


	7. Human

It didn't surprise her to find that the war had left scars on her psyche. She'd felt true pain when Neji had fallen in battle, but had to keep fighting, because if no one was left, who would carry on their memories? After the war concluded, the enemies vanquished, she had stumbled back to his body, falling to her knees and allowing herself to cry. It was at that moment that she felt a weak pulse. Any other time, she would have denied her desperation and her tears, but she was exhausted and hopeful. So, with tears streaming down her face, Tenten had screamed for a medic, and Neji had been revived, a miracle born of pain and sacrifice.

And now, after rebuilding and repairing the villages and any relationships, here they were, occupying a temporary wing of Konoha's Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Though not necessarily criminally-driven, all of them were placed in this wing to make use of the cells, especially due to the natures of Sakura, Hinata, Naruto, and Gaara's conditions. Tenten couldn't say she minded. Here, in her own cell, she could spend time with Neji, pursuing what they were afraid of prior to the resolution of the war: a relationship.

Tenten was a proud shinobi, weapons mistress, and a woman. She accepted herself and pushed to be the best, to be on par with ninjas like Lee and Neji, to prove to herself and others that women could be as great and better ninjas as men. That's why she hated herself, in the temporary wing at the Konoha Hospital for the Criminally Insane, even as she cherished the moments she could spend with Hyuuga Neji.

She was strong, independent, capable. But she was also weak, afraid, and helpless. Tenten was used to being strong - when her mind was impacted from everything she had seen since her childhood training began, she felt as though she had fallen from the high standard she held herself to, and lacked the strength, the resources, to pull herself back up. Tenten wasn't naive enough to believe that she was the only one struggling - no, every time she looked at Naruto, at Hinata, at Sakura and Gaara, hell, even at _Lee_ , she knew that she had it easier than they did. Yet it felt so crushingly hard, and that was why she hated herself for it.

She sighed, frustrated, and ran her hand over the edges of the mp3 player that Tsunade had given her. "For therapy," she had said, a small smile on her face. "Think of it as training." Tenten's spirits lifted at the thought of training, even if it was simply emotional training. Training led to perfection, and the pursuit of perfection was what led to conquering obstacles that some might deem impossible. With that thought in her mind, Tenten closed her eyes and pressed the small triangular button, listening.

Soft strings and piano filled the space. " _I can hold my breath, I can bite my tongue, I can stay awake for days if that's what you want, be your number one. I can fake a smile, I can force a laugh, I can dance and play the part if that's what you ask, give you all I am… I can do it, I can do it, I can do it…"_ Tenten found herself swaying slightly - normally, she would force herself to still, but something about the song pulled at her usually-strict resolve. So the weapons mistress allowed her body to move slowly, gracefully. The crescendo brought feelings to the surface she had almost forgotten.

" _But I'm only human, and I bleed when I fall down, I'm only human, and I crash and I break down. Your words in my head, knives in my heart, you build me up and then I fall apart, cuz I'm only human…"_ She was moving, letting her heart guide her feet, her arms floating gracefully like ink through water, and she was lost in herself. Her tears went unnoticed as the melody continued.

" _I can turn it on… be a good machine... I can hold the weight of worlds if that's what you need… be your everything… I can do it, I can do it, I'll get through it!"_ Somewhere in her mind, a voice whispered about Neji's presence, but she ignored it, siphoning through the geyser of vulnerability for its root, its cause. " _But I'm only human, and I bleed when I fall down! I'm only human, and I crash and I break down! Your words in my head, knives in my heart, you build me up and then I fall apart, cuz I'm only human…."_ Belatedly, Tenten realized that she was dancing, strong and smooth even when she didn't feel the same way inside.

" _I'm only human, I'm only human, just a little human…!"_ Tenten's shoulders shook, her breath catching in her throat. " _I can take so much, till I've had enough… Cuz I'm only human! And I bleed when I fall down, I'm only human! And I crash and I break down. Your words in my head, knives in my heart, you build me up and then I fall apart, cuz I'm only human…"_ The young shinobi didn't realize she'd dropped to her knees until Neji was there, his arms surrounding her, holding her wordlessly, giving her exactly what she needed. Safety and comfort, time to cycle through her turbulent emotions and find the one thing holding her back from moving forward, into the future.

"I'm a human." Neji hesitated at her whisper before nodding, his cheek resting lightly against her hair. "I'm a ninja." Again, her lover nodded, despite being uncertain where this was going. "And I'm a woman." He sighed. "I've always tried to keep up with all of you. I wanted to prove to everyone that a woman could be the same, or better, than a man could be in the shinobi world. And I did prove to everyone, Neji." Tenten raised her head, eyes reddened from tears, smile unstable on her face. "Everyone but myself." Her voice broke, but she kept speaking. "I was so worried about keeping up that it was never good enough. If I mastered one technique, I would ask myself why I didn't commit to another, as well." Her shoulders trembled.

"I wanted to be worthy of you." Neji stilled. "When… when you died on that battlefield, even though it had been to protect Hinata-chan, I felt like it was the world's way of telling me that I wasn't strong enough, that I hadn't worked hard enough to deserve happiness, to deserve a future with you." Tenten snorted unexpectedly, broken giggles bubbling from her lips. "It's so stupid, but… but…" Eyes pinned him in place earnestly. "I _lost_ you. I _lost_ you, and I never got the chance to tell you how much I fucking _love_ you."

Neji sucked in a sharp breath, searching for words, but the weapons mistress wasn't done. "You _died_ , and I thought I would never get to have _this_ ," she laced her fingers with his, "with you. And I felt like it was all my fault. And then you… you weren't dead, and I was so happy, but I was afraid, too. And I felt like that made me _less_ than what I'd worked so hard to be - strong." Tenten looked up at him, and smiled. "But it's okay. I understand that, a little better than I did earlier. In the end, shinobi status and gender nonwithstanding, I'm still human. And to be human is to feel." She leaned into his touch, sighing. "And really, I'm okay with being human, as long as I get to love you."

 _ **A/N - It seems to me that the canon missed one thing - you can't expect a bunch of teenagers to fight a war from childhood and NOT BE AFFECTED. It doesn't really make sense, when you consider that they were young, impressionable kids. So, I give you Tenten, dealing with her conflicted feelings of self-worth and societal standards, while Neji is the emotional support. :) Also, Neji's chapter is coming up. Promise! Please tell me what you think, and I'll see you next time! :)**_


	8. Till the Sun Burns Out

Neji had always striven for perfection. He was a Hyuuga, albeit a member of the branch family. His father had explained the natural order of things to him when he had started training at the tender age of six. "We are the guardians of our betters. It is our duty to ensure the safety of Lady Hinata, the heir."

Neji had been amenable to his position until his placement in the main branch's household. Hiashi Hyuuga had quickly instilled resentment in his heart, belittling Neji's efforts while pushing him to improve faster than a human should be able to. "But," the clan head retorted scathingly, "you are not human. You are a servant, and a servant must bend to the wills of his masters." Neji knew that his cousin, Hinata, was not faring better, even though she was one of two possible heirs. Hinami, though younger, had gained favor in the eyes of Hiashi for her excelling performance in ninjutsu. Thus, pressure built on Hinata, which doubled stress on Neji.

He had hated her, and had been expected to protect her, to give his life for her if necessary, like his father did later on. He didn't respect her after facing her in combat - she had seemed even weaker than he, and Neji had been programmed, he realized now, to despise weakness. When he was finally assigned a team, which surprisingly did not include Hinata, he got a taste of how life was for those not born into his position as a retainer.

Maito Gai was energetic and eccentric; his disciple, Lee, was no better, but they were warm and genuine, something Neji found to be lacking in the main household. Even though the impossible challenges and "youthful" proclamations were quickly tiresome, he grew attached to them. And then there was… her.

The first time Neji met Tenten, he compared her to Hinata. Though, his original opinion of her was even less than that of Hinata, as Tenten wasn't even part of a clan. He had been narrow-minded and foolish, in reflection. But she was on Team Gai, and his team had connotations of "family" that he'd never really gotten to experience. However, even when Lee had become a brotherly rival, Tenten had been in a category that he hadn't been able to place. She wasn't like a sister, she wasn't a rival, she wasn't inferior _or_ superior, but… she was important. And not knowing what she meant to him infuriated him.

Neji sighed, lying on the small bed, Tenten curled against his side as he sifted through his own thoughts. He had forged a bond with her during their school years, had watched her develop as both a ninja _and_ a woman, and had not been as aloof as he had wished. She had a way of seeing through him that no one did - even his father had accepted his deceptions, often out of exhaustion. Tenten challenged him, developing his spirit and his heart, but encouraged him at the same time. It had been confusing - Neji hadn't had the faintest clue how to react to the strong kunoichi that had wormed her way unknowingly into his heart.

He'd realized that his feelings for her ran deeper than friendship long before the final battle. When he took the attack meant for Naruto, Neji had felt the distressed jolt of Tenten's chakra, though he had forced himself to carry out his duty. His consciousness had faded, waves of pain washing over his scattered mind, but his heart cried out for the weapons mistress. But even when he expected death, he resurfaced briefly at the scream from beside his body. The Hyuuga guardian had wondered fleetingly if wishes were truly able to be granted before gentle chakra enveloped him, lulling him into a quiet coma.

It had taken time upon awakening to heal fully and restore the strength he'd had prior, but Tenten had been beside him, supporting him loudly at times, silently others. All her encouragement was warmly received and appreciated. Although Neji wasn't experienced using words to express emotions, he knew the significance of actions, and acted accordingly. A brief touch, a small smile, a soft kiss pressed to her hair, a mug of tea on a cool day, a new scroll or weapon tactics book - he had done them all, and would have continued, had she not advanced their relationship one day. He still was amused thinking about it.

He had left her a small gift: it was a necklace, fixed with a jutsu that could transform the small charm into a weapon of the wearer's choice. Tenten's face had brightened with happiness upon his quiet explanation, and she had thrown her arms around his shoulders, kissing him sweetly. They had both been shy (and slightly surprised, on his part) afterwards, but he had dutifully clasped the necklace around her throat upon her request. In the days that followed, lingering caresses and stolen kisses had become commonplace, before they finally spoke of their feelings, taking the leap to an intimate relationship founded on friendship, respect, and love.

After it became apparent that the war left presents of its own, Tsunade had gathered all the key players in the long battle together in the temporary wing of the hospital, alongside the wing that housed more dangerous patients, for education and treatment. The prison-like qualities had first unnerved and angered Neji, but he came to appreciate the advantages after Naruto and Gaara had reverted to their Tailed forms. The cells were infused with chakra, strengthening the bars significantly until even one of Sakura's devastating punches resulted in minor bending. It was quite impressive, and Neji often pondered how many ninja had siphoned fractions of their chakra into the cells, intending to keep far more powerful _guests_ at bay.

Tenten shifted, her hair coming loose from its buns, hands bunching in his shirt. Sighing as a smile tugged at his lips, Neji wrapped his arms around her, pulling the kunoichi closer. Turning his head to look down at her peaceful face, Neji found himself doing one thing he'd never really had the opportunity to appreciate - he sang softly, just for the woman in his arms.

" _I've walked you to your door a hundred nights before, and I'll walk you to the end of the world, 'cause if falling into love is Heaven's wonder drug, I'm addicted, and only you can fix me, girl…"_ He chuckled softly as she sighed against his chest, dropping a soft kiss to her hair. His pale eyes closed, savoring the feelings evoked within him. Quietly, reverently, he continued.

" _I'm gonna love you till the sun burns out, love you till the sun burns out, and I'll chase away your clouds. Love you till the sun burns out."_ A small, cynical part of Neji, left from Hiashi's influence, jibed that he sounded like Naruto, singing soppy ditties to his lady love. He crushed that voice with a thought.

" _Wanna hold you till the moon shuts down, till the stars are on the ground, till the end of time is found, love you till the sun burns out."_ He hummed the instrumental break, playing absentmindedly with Tenten's hair. " _Till the sun burns out."_

A soft, crisp voice intercepted his humming. " _If the water turns to fire, if the fairy tales are lies, if the mountains melt like ice, still I'll be here… And if love is just a choice, I choose to lose my voice, singing every song only for your ears."_ Cinnamon eyes smiled up at him as Tenten continued the chorus. " _I'm gonna love you till the sun burns out, love you till the sun burns out, and I'll chase away your clouds! Love you till the sun burns out."_

" _Wanna hold you till the moon shuts down, till the stars are on the ground, till the end of time is found. Love you till the sun burns out. Till the sun burns out."_ Neji squeezed her playfully, rewarded by a giggle and a touch of her hand to his face. His voice softened. " _So look me in the iris… of all beauty, you're the finest. I don't say these words to just… anyone…"_

Her hands stroked his face, happiness coloring her chakra signature. " _And I will never leave your side, no. Gonna love you… I'm gonna love you till the sun burns out, love you till the sun burns out, and I'll chase away your clouds, love you till the sun burns out."_

Tenten raised her voice, weaving it with Neji's in a harmony that had even the guards inclining their heads to listen to. " _Wanna hold you till the moon shuts down, till the stars are on the ground, till the end of time is found, love you till the sun burns out. Till the sun burns out. Till the sun burns out."_ Finishing their duet, Neji kissed her quietly, thoroughly contented with the peace inside his heart. On his own, perhaps, he might be worse off, but even two people with issues could be strong, and their love only made them stronger.

 _ **A/N - I'm a sucker for love songs and romance. It's one of my two fanfiction quirks - romance and darker themes. In any case, I really enjoyed writing this chapter. To clarify, Neji did, in fact, die in the final battle, but only briefly. He received a small burst of chakra that restarted his heart and kept him unconscious until Tenten found him again. It's still kinda canon-compliant, but their love was too beautiful to not continue. :) Please tell me what you thought! And to the guest requesting the story title, I'm afraid I can't recollect it, despite searching for it... you can try a Google search, though. :) Thank you for reading, and I will see you next chapter!**_


	9. The Arena

9 The Arena

It was always a battleground. In the center, surrounded by his fallen comrades, stood a shadow, nothing about it discernible as anything but an unknown enemy. Even its voice was a mere whisper of the wind, dry and thin in his ears. However, despite the rasp of its dead vocal chords, it was filled with malice, taunting him mercilessly, speeding towards him and catching him off guard, sending him hurling to the other side of the arena. With that singular hit, its voice changed, adopting the jeering tone of his academy classmates.

" _Ne, ne, Bushy-brows! You can't even use ninjutsu - you're a weakling! There's no way a kid who only uses taijutsu will be protecting us!"_ The shade snickered malevolently before its voice deepened. " _Yosh! Lee, where is your youthful vigor?! Have you fallen so low?! No student of mine has lost their youth so quickly! I denounce you! Pah!"_

Lee trembled, his arms quivering, straining to support his weight. His entire body felt as though it were made of lead, his speed gone. Each voice the shadow tarnished with its use struck a deep-seated fear within him. Every hit touched a nightmare, a moment from a different past that could have been. But it wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot. The tone softened and ascended in pitch, but its poisonous insinuations only strengthened.

" _Rock Lee, what made you ever dare to think that a creature like you could have captured my lotus blossom heart? Each word you speak is a blockage in my chakra, and each move you make is a slice in my youthful soul. You could not woo me with the flames of even the highest burning passion, or slake my thirst with the dew of a thousand lotus petals."_ The shade giggled coyly, even its body posture mimicking the beautiful medic. Lee grit his teeth, clenching his eyes shut, and slowly, agonizingly, drew his limbs from the ground.

"You are not representative of me. You are not devout in your pursuit of youthfulness!" Standing upright though his body ached terribly, Lee drew a kunai and slung it at the creature of darkness. "How dare you tarnish the springs of youth that dwell within my comrades!" His strength returning sluggishly, he danced closer to the shade, swirling around it and striking it where he could. "You're finished, bakemono!"

The thing lay there, wilted and sullen, before a single reedy chuckle escaped it. However, there were no words that poisoned the air; there was a tangible string of _**thought**_ and _**emotion**_ clouding the atmosphere between them. _**I am no monster, Rock Lee. Neither am I separate. I dwell within you… you cannot dispel me so easily. And if you manage to shake me, you shall simply confront me in one of your companions… for I am Despair. I live within all things. And I… will never… disappear…**_ Despair's black body began to ooze, congealing into a dark pool before absorbing into the ground, filtering its essence back into Lee's mind.

With a start, Lee awoke, bolting upright as he struggled to contain his gasping breaths. Tightening his jaw and boosting his resolve, he stepped out of his makeshift bed and threw himself onto the floor. "Yosh! I vow to complete 500 one-handed push-ups before the breakfast bell is rung! Despair is nothing in the pursuit of youthfulness!" From across the hall, Sakura sighed quietly before tapping her Ipod, giving the Green Monster of Konoha an instrumental companion for his impossible task as she drifted back to sleep in Gaara's arms.

 _ **A/N - So, I hath returned. And I give you another chapter, although it's shorter than I would have liked. For those wondering, the song is The Arena by Lindsey Stirling. She's very talented, and her music is always evocative to the artist in me - if you haven't heard her music before, go check it out! It was an interesting experience writing this chapter - I don't pay as much attention to Maito Guy and Rock Lee as I should, and capturing their obsession with "youth" is a bit more challenging than I thought it would be. I didn't want to sound redundant, but I fear that I may have missed the mark in one way or another. In any case, please tell me what you thought of this chapter, and I will see you next time!**_


	10. Clock Lock Works

10 Clock Lock Works

It was hard to see. Every day, every night, he was shut in darkness, but that was okay. Tobi felt safer in the dark, even if he shared it with " _him_ " _,_ with " _Obito_ ". In the light, he was dangerous. In the light, he was called " _Madara_ ".

He curled in on himself, cradling the mask to his face. It had been broken, fractured, so many times, but each break, Tobi withdrew from the world, hiding himself away until it was repaired and returned. With his beloved mask, Tobi could step out of his cell, into the artificial light, and still be in the dark. He could still be awake, still be himself.

They all talked about " _it_ ". At least, that was what Tobi had gathered. " _Madara_ " and " _it_ " were synonymous. " _Madara_ " was dangerous, criminal, and had caused devastation, but was somehow connected to Tobi himself. Such was the case with " _Obito_ ", though he was calmer, sadder, quieter. The former Akatsuki member curled tighter, his arms hugging his chest in isolated comfort.

" _It_ " was making a push again. Tobi often felt " _it_ " within himself, as if " _it_ " were a parasite, moving and stretching in his mind, restless. Sometimes, Tobi would lose awareness, lose consciousness, and awake later, his hands bleeding, voice broken, and mask in pieces. He never knew what happened in those times, but he knew what caused them. " _It_ " did. " _Madara_ " did.

Tobi hated _it_. He hated the loss of control, the loss of memory, the pain and despair, the loneliness that was imposed upon him. His isolation was not his fault - it was _Madara's_. Underneath the mask, Tobi closed his eyes, trying to stem the burning pressure behind them. A song from long ago, a song his memory didn't recognize, burst forth in a deafening whisper, emotion laced within each word.

 _Pappara, working without resting,_

 _Ro-do-ro-do, lan-lan-la,_

 _Every day is lived the same,_

 _Just like a stray cat._

 _Somewhere, someone trades places with another,_

 _Ma-no-ma-no, lan-lan-la,_

 _No one notices,_

 _Chasing after the numbers._

Tobi's eyes burned, the cursed tears leaving uneven trails down his face. _Madara_ mocked him in a dark corner of his heart, and Tobi curled tighter, the song telling the story of his heart.

 _At the bottom of my heart,_

 _A locked door;_

" _You're being stupid", I told myself,_

 _And ignored the knocking._

" _It won't change", I give up,_

 _Hurrying with a stopped clock,_

 _In my dreams, I'll say_

" _I wish upon a star" seriously._

A set of footsteps stopped outside Tobi's and _it_ 's cell. Shamed that a guard, unnamed and unrecognized, had glimpsed his inner turmoil, Tobi covered his ears, not wanting to hear the derisive comments and the mocking laughter that was sure to come. Rolling away from the door, his knees came to his chest in a poor imitation of a hurt child, and his tears were given voice by whimpered sobs, even as the song poured out of him.

 _Tick-tock, working as a stupid soldier,_

 _Gattan, gattan, lan-lan-la,_

 _Make a choice, ready-set-go,_

 _Before realizing it's all black muck._

 _Morning and night switch places,_

 _No-ma-no-ma, lan-lan-la,_

 _And no one ever cares,_

 _Greedily chasing the numbers._

Tobi curled against the far wall, the pieces of himself colliding inside his head - _Madara_ was violent, _Obito_ was soft, and _Tobi_ was caught in the reverberations of each short battle. His sobs grew in volume, his body shaking as he tried to stave off the inevitable switch, the loss of himself all over again. His hands left his ears, grasping at his chest through the fabric of his cloak, almost as though to grasp his heart in his hands.

 _A faint voice comes_

 _From beyond the door…_

" _It's no use", I sit down,_

 _And mutter from the corner of the room._

 _Just take me away, anywhere._

 _No prince will come for me._

Tobi felt _Obito_ nudge the corners of his mind, as though giving a thwarted hug. _Madara_ angrily pushed back, and Tobi's sobs began again, a cycle of hopelessness and despair, with confusion at the center.

" _Goodnight, and good morning!"_

 _Someone speaks from beyond the door._

" _It's okay if it's locked;_

 _I can talk from here, right?"_

Tobi's fists tightened, his ears hearing his own song, rather than the voice whispering from the locked door.

 _I don't want to hear that!_

 _I don't want to, no, I don't want to._

 _Hey, hey, don't go away!_

 _Stay with me, and talk to me._

Tobi's cries and heartfelt words floated to the presence behind the door, who sank slowly to his knees. The song continued, ignorant of the visitor outside the cell.

" _It's worthless", I lied,_

 _But I still want someone to notice me._

 _I'm so cold, but I don't want to touch anyone,_

 _No matter how much time passes, the door will stay locked._

 _Working from a casket,_

" _Well, at least…" I don't want to say_

 _The hands of the clock spin forever_

 _And I cry at the gentle knocking._

The last thread of song unravelled and disappeared, leaving Tobi shuddering on the cold cell floor. His eyes remained shut, the barrier ignored by the relentless tears. _Madara_ mocked him, and _Obito_ tried to comfort through the wall around his heart. Tobi could almost imagine a hand resting hesitantly on his shoulder, warming him, but that wasn't possible, right?

"Tobi."

Tobi's eyes opened slowly, reacting sluggishly to the light creeping into his cell and the familiar voice. There was no way… no way… he couldn't be here. He just _couldn't_. Heart twisting painfully, Tobi turned his head to the left, peeking over a hunched shoulder, gaze finally resting on a dexterous hand, lightly tanned. His eye followed slowly up the arm, faltering on the flash of stitches under the sleeve, and finally resting on blonde hair and blue eyes. "Sen...pai…?"

 _Madara_ and _Obito_ seemed to disappear into the recesses of _Tobi_ , and Deidara simply reached out, inviting what Tobi had always wanted, but was afraid to ask. "Come here."

He wasn't alone in his loneliness anymore. It didn't matter, at that moment, when _Madara_ or _Obito_ would next surface. All that mattered was the presence of his Senpai, his calming hands and husky voice. "Please…" Deidara tilted his head curiously, straining to hear the muffled voice of Tobi against his chest. "Stay." A quiet chuckle resonated through Tobi's mask as Deidara gave his answer.

"As long as you want."

 _ **A/N - Happy holidays, all. Here, have some strongly-hinted TobiDei hurt/comfort. Song is Clock Lock Works by Hatsune Miku. Please tell me what you thought - it keeps me going. I hope you enjoyed, and see you next chapter. :)**_


	11. Freeze You Out

11 Freeze You Out

It was always cold in here. But that was okay, because she preferred it that way. The cold was comforting. It was the one constant that had stayed with her, and eventually she had learned to control it. After all, it was part of her. She was a weapon. Yuki Haku had come to embrace it.

Tsunade had been particular about her chakra balances in Haku's cell. She could freeze it as much as she desired, as long as there was a connection between the corridor and her cell. The door always was a sore spot, the point of imperfection against Haku's otherwise pristine wall of ice. It used to irritate her constantly, but now it was just another fact of life.

She used to dream that one day, Zabuza would walk through that door and sit beside her. Whether it was to berate on the cold temperature, or to take her back with him, she didn't care. But Zabuza was dead. Zabuza was dead, and Haku was lucky to be alive. Even if she didn't feel particularly lucky.

There used to be days when Haku would venture beyond the icy confines of her room. But those days were long dead, as were the few people who had dared to jeer _Yuki-onna_ at her. Haku could see why they would say it - though biologically a male at birth, Haku had yearned to be a woman her whole life. Those who spit the name at her poked and prodded the insecurity she still held - could she ever truly be a woman, knowing that she was born a man?

Now, she kept herself locked away in her prison, surrounded by the beautiful, delicately dangerous ice she'd been cursed with since birth. It was better this way, she told herself, better to stay away from others, to trap herself here with her pain rather than hurt others. She told herself that it was safer for them, for her, and that she would get used to the isolation. That she would get used to occupying a space without him there.

Tsunade watched the isolated cell, her forehead creasing into a frown as the ice thickened, day by day. Shizune stopped by her elbow, eying the chamber. "Do you think we should tell her?" The trepidation in her voice was unusual, often reserved for when the Godaime had drunk too much. Tsunade sighed.

"No. But we'll tell him."

Even though the ice was thick, Haku could still hear her fellow inmates. Though this facility was aimed towards helping them, it was still a prison. At least, that was what Haku had concluded. She envied the happiness between Naruto and his dark-haired love, and the passion that the Sand jinchuuriki reserved for Konoha's best medic. Haku had never known the love of a parent, the reassurance of a friend, the warmth of a lover. The closest she had gotten in life was the encouragement of Zabuza, though she was simply a useful tool to him. She remembered, on the cusp of unconsciousness, the tears Naruto had shed for her, for Zabuza, but that ended her experience with emotion.

Sometimes, she looked through the veil of silver and spotted Sai, the Root member, and longed to speak to him. His ways were stilted, it was true, but she was warped by her own experiences. It was impossible, Haku told herself. If she left her frozen sanctuary, her lifeless tomb, she would hurt someone. She might hurt the person she most wished to speak to. So she remained in her exile, emanating cold and idly watching the ice crystals solidify into another layer.

Now and then, she would sing. The door, forever untouched by her ice, served as a conduit for the sound of her soft voice. This was one of those times, her brown eyes closing, a cascade of ice tinkling against varying areas in a gentle, natural music box. Whenever Haku sang, she poured her emotions into the music, rather than entrusting such power to the ice that was bound to her chakra. It was the only outlet she allowed herself, the only show of weakness.

 _You know I've been hurt before,_

 _Yeah, you know the score,_

 _And I know you want more…_

 _You want me to thaw out._

Haku murmured her song, yet it bounced off her icy walls and amplified itself. Tsunade looked at Shizune, who supported a heavily bandaged ninja. "It's time." Shizune nodded, a slight smile playing on her lips.

 _But you know I get ice cold, I get cold,_

 _When you don't go slow,_

 _But I know you want more,_

 _You need me to thaw out._

Haku could almost imagine someone was sitting with her. She smiled sadly, picturing Zabuza sitting beside her, listening to her sing once more. But Zabuza was dead. Haku knew the price of life - if one was chosen to live, then the other was surely chosen to die. Such was the case with she and her guardian. She was now imprisoned of her own volition, to keep all others safe, and to keep the memory of her precious guardian alive, for in the reflection of her ice, he was always there.

 _And I know you are worth it,_

 _And I know this could work if_

 _I could only let you in,_

 _But I'm freezing…_

Her voice magnified and echoed back to her, and a few whispered words of encouragement displaced her calm. Those words… they were not hers. They were his. They were Zabuza's. Haku gasped, eyes flying open, and stared through the wall of ice at her back. The Godaime and her assistant were standing there, supporting a heavily bandaged ninja. She called out, against her will, and a smile disrupted the bandages. Tears started in her eyes, and trickled down to freeze on her face. She dashed them aside, her voice halting the song as her eyes tracked the movements of the three ninja outside her chamber.

"Keep singing, little Yuki." The familiar words cracked Haku's aloof mask. She pressed her hands against the ice, her forehead touching and eyes closing. Memories flashed through her mind of tending to her guardian's injuries and singing to calm his mind. If she ever attempted to hide her voice, he would ask her to sing. He never gave a reason for his desire to hear her melodies, but she knew that he wanted her to be happy.

The tears coursed down her cheeks, and the ice around her heart began to break as she continued her song.

 _I'm not running away,_

 _I'm not running away,_

 _I will feel the pain,_

 _And stay._

 _I'm not running again,_

 _I'm not running again,_

 _Even though I'm scared,_

 _Baby…_

The pain and fear built inside her, the walls broken from around her heart. It was a nightmarish scenario for Haku, and the icy chakra within her chamber reacted to her tumultuous emotions, a blizzard of ice shards surrounding her, occasionally slicing into her skin, like paper cuts on her face and arms.

 _And I won't freeze you out_

 _Like I have been,_

 _I won't freeze you out_

 _I'm gonna let you in._

 _And I won't freeze you out_

 _Like I have been,_

 _I won't freeze you out_

 _My heart is melting._

Her emotions swirled chaotically within her, like a tornado confined within her chest. Hope, despair, joy, anger, worry, confusion, jealousy, yearning… a myriad of others trickled in the background, falling freely through the broken wall that had separated her heart from her mind. The storm intensified, and red crystals grew to replace the beads of blood adorning her skin. Distantly, she heard shouting in the corridors and steadily approaching chakra signals, but she was so lost within herself that nothing beyond her own circle of Hell mattered.

 _So here's my heart for you to hold,_

 _Feel it beat, feel the warm blood flow_

 _Through my cold,_

 _Feel it thaw out._

 _Yeah, I've felt the fear but I push through,_

 _It's so worth loving you,_

 _You wanted more._

 _And so I thawed out._

Outside the arctic cell, a single man stood steadily, gazing at the wall of ice punctured by the single door. Two hands, he could make out, pressed against one side as the occupant sang from within her cage. He had seen her time and time again, wondered idly what conversing with her would feel like, but keeping himself away - Sai was no fool. He saw the way Haku isolated herself, saw how she looked down whenever their gazes met. And now her song spoke of love and thawing, but she was more wild than ever before. An unfamiliar bubble of wretched emotion swelled within him, and he struggled to place it. All he knew was that it was unpleasant, and his hands curled into fists as he frowned. Yes, Sai was no fool, but he was the biggest fool he knew.

 _And I know you are worth it,_

 _And I know this could work if_

 _I could only let you in,_

 _But I'm freezing…_

 _I'm not running away,_

 _I'm not running away,_

 _I will feel the pain_

 _And stay._

 _I'm not running again,_

 _I'm not running again,_

 _Even though I'm scared,_

 _Baby…_

He was at her wall before he knew it. They weren't running away; they were running for each other as fast as they could. Haku was still singing, trembling behind her cold glass, her hands dusted with snow where they touched her self-made barrier. Her eyes remained closed, an ineffective stop to the tears that continued to stream down her face. Her throat felt raw, but her voice remained sweet. _Is this what it's like… to know you've been lied to? To know that things were different? Is this… what loneliness feels like?_

 _And I won't freeze you out_

 _Like I have been,_

 _I won't freeze you out,_

 _I'm gonna let you in._

 _And I won't freeze you out_

 _Like I have been,_

 _I won't freeze you out,_

 _My heart is melting._

"Wait!" Sai stopped with his hand a hair's breadth from the chakra-laden door. The Godaime spoke lowly, but each word was concerned. "If you go in there, I cannot guarantee your safety, Sai. Haku is in a state of severe distress - she may not recognize anyone as anything but a threat. You know this," Tsunade cautioned, talking half a step forward.

Sai turned his head to face her and smiled. "I know," was his simple reply. His fingers grazed the door.

 _I won't freeze you out,_

 _My heart is melting…_

 _I won't freeze you out,_

 _My heart is melting…_

Someone was inside, Haku realized in the detached segment of her mind that retained rational thought. She tried in vain to analyze their chakra signature, but everything was blurry to her, too cold and too warm and spinning out of her control too fast…

 _I'm not running away,_

 _I'm not running away,_

 _I will feel the pain_

 _And stay…_

 _I'm not running again,_

 _I'm not running again,_

 _Even though I'm scared,_

 _Baby…_

The storm calmed for a fraction of a second as the new voice began to register in Haku's tired mind, before picking up in intensity, a frozen chaos of icy blades and the sound of her tears. Sai took a deep breath of bitter cold and continued shuffling forward, braving the hurricane and heading for its eye.

 _And I won't freeze you out_

 _Like I have been,_

 _I won't freeze you out_

 _I'm gonna let you in._

 _And I won't freeze you out_

 _Like I have been,_

 _I won't freeze you out_

 _My heart is melting…_

A tentative wisp of song reached Sai's ears, and a small smile lit up his face. He was halfway to Haku, and her song fortified his resolution. The screaming hell of the storm slowed to a mere blizzard, no longer slicing at skin and freezing blood. He could see her now; she was still leaning against the wall, her forehead pressed against the ice and hands covered in patchwork snow. But her eyes were open, and she was searching for him.

 _And I won't freeze you out_

 _Like I have been,_

 _I won't freeze you out_

 _I'm gonna let you in._

The blizzard reduced to a few swirling flakes, and the glassy wall felt slippery under her hands. Haku hesitated before pulling her hands from the wall, and her forehead along with it. The snow cascaded slowly off of her; she realized belatedly that she had been curtained in the delicate ice crystals as the sharp chips externalized her confusion. The crunch of ice underfoot brought her attention away from her cold hands. Brown irises met gentle black, and she watched, bemused, as he finished her - their - song.

 _And I won't freeze you out_

 _Like I have been,_

 _I won't freeze you out_

 _My heart is melting._

Warmth enveloped Haku. The storm died to a mere whisper of ice against the floor, and she leaned into Sai's arms, all her self-imposed restrictions melted. Her eyes closed as exhaustion threatened to drag her under the veil of conscious thought. "Hello…" She murmured, soft and slow, and he smiled.

"Hello, beautiful."

 ** _A/N - There was a lot of confusion in the canon about Haku's gender. I've gone with trans here. I also know that not many people thought of Sai and Haku as a shippable pair. I've taken full advantage of my creative license here, and I hope the result is pleasant. Please let me know what you thought! I'll see you next chapter. :)_**


	12. One More Day

12 One More Day

Yamanaka Ino was used to getting what she wanted. She had been able to stand out in her team at a fairly young age as a ninja, and was exemplary when she was working in Yamanaka Flowers. After feuding with her best friend for years over the affections of an unreachable sociopath, she had dramatically announced that he was untouchable and reclaimed Haruno Sakura as her sister in spirit. And though it had seemed like a happy ending, first with Shikamaru, then with Sai, she could see that not all was crystal clear. Something was wrong, but she didn't want to see it - Ino was afraid, and she wanted to cling to her "happy ending" with all of her strength.

She was well-acquainted with jealousy, the green-eyed monster, having gotten her first strong taste when her best friend had been assigned to Uchiha Sasuke's team. Ino also knew pity to an astonishing degree for one that was perceived to be so shallow; she knew the feelings of pity for another, and pity for self. And at this moment in her life, Ino knew misery.

While she and Sai had never truly been officially pronounced _this_ or _that_ , they had been close to such a relationship. So close, in fact, that Ino had dreamed of the day he would sweep her fully off her feet and whisk her into married life. Now, looking into the mess hall, she struggled to fight back tears as Sai sat with Haku, of all people, his arm around the girl's shoulders and heads bent together. Sometimes, Haku would look up at Ino with regret heavy in her eyes, but Sai would take the ice girl's hand casually, and the regret would wash away, replaced with pity.

Pity for Ino.

Now, she was confined inside her room. It wasn't anyone's fault, or anyone's choice. Ino just didn't want to come out. Her heart was twisting whenever she looked outside, and it hurt terribly. So, the blonde merely neglected to see outside her three walls. The bars of her cell became as the shutters on a window.

Food was brought to her, but she pushed it back outside. When a guard opened the cell door and brought her tray _inside_ , Ino screamed, bloodcurdling and horrified. The guard stumbled back out, eyes wide and face pale as the tray, smashed and unrecognizable, flew to land several feet beyond his feet, the food splattered on the floor. Ino sobbed, shaking uncontrollably until the door was closed and locked.

Sometimes, she screamed. The walls around her occasionally closed in, she thought, and her heart was overflowing with fear and sorrow. She shouted accusations, yelling her anger before wailing in anguish. During the day, most eyes turned the other way, leaving her to her tumultuous grief, but at night, her screams quickly transitioned to heartbroken weeping. Loud or soft, it made no difference; every occupant, every cell could hear her, though not all cared.

Sakura would sometimes sing Ino to sleep, and Hinata would talk soothingly to her. Gaara occasionally sent sand to pull the girl's sheets back over her when she inevitably exhausted herself to the point of sleep. But it was always Sai that sent Ino back to the beginning of her miserable cycle.

Ino would find a small animal, black and white, of familiar calligraphy just watching her. Often, it was a mouse, but sometimes a cat showed up. And Ino would be bombarded with memories and imagined futures that could never be, and new tears would cloud her blue eyes. Many times, Sai's awareness of the blonde kunoichi would end abruptly, his creation having been torn to pieces. Still, he did not understand, and felt concern for the lost woman, continually sending small art to watch over her, driving her deeper into despair.

Some nights, a new figure waited outside Ino's chamber. The guard was nowhere to be seen those evenings, and the mysterious visitor would stay until the early hours of dawn before slipping away. On those nights, Ino would sleep, surrounded by an unexplainable warmth, feeling safe. From time to time, she questioned the presence, asking its purpose, but was met with mostly silence. Tonight, she asked once more.

"Why do you come here?" She was exhausted, her voice broken, her throat raw. Blue eyes were swollen from tears, and glistening silver trails marked her face in the moonlight. The visitor still saw her beauty, despite her pain. Ino was accustomed to asking these questions, not receiving a response.

"I come because I care for you." The reply was gentle, soothing, and vaguely recognizable, but the girl's mind was addled by her grief, clouding her understanding. Instead of chasing her nostalgic curiosity, she slumped to the ground, tiny grains of sand digging into her bare knees, her back against her cot, head resting on her shoulder. Ino fought to keep her eyes open, but the man spoke again. "Sleep, Ino-chan." A smile was hidden in his voice. The clouds shifted outside the window, and as Ino's eyes drifted shut, she saw a brief silhouette before sleep claimed her.

The visitor watched the girl sleep, her troubled features smoothing and her breathing becoming regular. A soft scratching noise and a touch to his hand stole his attention from the beautiful blonde, and he scowled at the little mouse. "You shouldn't be here, Sai." The mouse shivered, exploding to pieces with a puff of smoke, and the Root ninja sat, bemused, in its place.

"And why not? Ino is my friend." His face was carefully blank, testing the waters, the visitor observed. "I would not stop you from visiting Haku or Sakura if there were something wrong." The shadowed ninja sighed in frustration.

"Haku is not in love with me, and neither is Sakura. They have affections of friends towards my person. But Ino is in love with you, Sai." He paused, almost hesitant, before plowing onwards. "Ino will never recover if you keep reminding her of your presence. Although," the ninja interrupted Sai's complaint, "it is admirable that you care so much for her, but you are only making her worse. Give her space. Let her grieve, let her move on. She may find happiness," the man skewered Sai with his glare, "but only if _you are not there_."

Sai remained on the floor, stumped by this new information. A self-deprecating smirk crossed his face briefly. "It makes sense that you would be the one to say that." The shadowed man tensed. "It was always a bit obvious, but Ino-chan never seemed to notice." His smirk was replaced with a sad sort of smile. "Are you fine with it?" The ninja, cloaked in shadows, didn't respond. Sai pressed further. "Even if she does move on, she may not fall into your arms this time. Are you still willing to accept that?"

A rustling from the shadowed corridor greeted his concerned words. The ninja, silhouetted against the stained glass window, turned towards Sai. Even through the darkness, the Root ninja could make out a melancholic smile. "Yeah," he said, that sad smile never leaving his face. "Yeah, I would accept all that and more." _I would accept all the world's anguish just to see her smile again._

Sai watched distantly as the man performed a simple jutsu, disappearing in a small puff of smoke. The former Root member stared blankly at the tiled floor, replaying the last few moments of conversation in his mind. A small chuckle tumbled from his mouth, humorless. "I always wondered… You are simply too kind-hearted." He closed his eyes, a sharp stab of pity lodged uncomfortably in his chest, and was engulfed in smoke. When it cleared, the little mouse had already scampered back home.

Neither ninja had heard the ragged breathing inside the cell. Not one of them had become aware of a third party, watching and listening to the exchange. Despite their years of training, their perception and heightened awareness, they were oblivious to the tears of the very girl they were guarding. Once they left, only then did Ino allow herself to collapse, her hands still gripping the bars tightly. A mournful whimper echoed through the hallway. " _Why?"_

" _Why?!"_

The light of day was both welcomed and ignored. The establishment roused, each patient leaving their cell slowly, if they were able. Sakura stepped out from behind her bars, sleepily walking towards the mess hall. Halfway there, she stopped dead in her tracks. Something felt… wrong. She didn't know what it was, and that bothered her. A frown creased her pretty face before she took note of the odd silence. But… why was it strange?

A spike in chakra caught her attention, and she spun, only then realizing her proximity to Ino's cell. Her heart accelerated, and green eyes widened in mounting horror. Red. There was so much red. "TSUNADE!"

* * *

Ino awoke that evening, her torso on fire. Her head was throbbing, her body screaming, and the jewelry on her wrists and ankles clinked gently as she sat up. When she looked closer, the blonde realized that they were delicate chakra cuffs. So she couldn't…

Her eyes filled with tears. It wasn't fair. That had been her chance, her one chance to finally escape the hell she found herself in, and it was taken from her. There was barely a scar on her chest, but the pain inside increased tenfold. Drawing her knees to her chest, she curled into as much of a ball as she could bear, wispy strands of gold falling in a curtain around her frail body.

 _If I'm in love_

 _But I feel lonely,_

 _Something is wrong…_

The quiet voice jerked Ino out of her trance. It was near… it was so familiar, she could almost put her finger on it, she almost knew who…!

 _I yell at the wall,_

 _I try by myself,_

 _But everything is the same…_

A hitch in the breath of her mysterious friend caused her eyes to widen in sudden realization. She knew that voice. She knew that voice so well that it hurt. Tentatively, she raised her voice to join him, if only for him to recognize that he wasn't alone. Not anymore. The Gods knew, Ino understood the pain of being alone.

 _One more day,_

 _If I let go of this hand,_

 _It will fly away,_

 _Love love love love love._

 _Oh, oh._

The hunched form outside her door shuddered. The man, his heart showing through all of the armor he had undoubtedly kept up, through the war, through everything - the man she knew and loved, but had never fully _seen_ \- straightened slowly, taking in her weak voice, twining with his broken melody. Tears were running down his face, and it took all of Ino's strength not to break right then.

 _One more day,_

 _If this race stops,_

 _It will get far away,_

 _Love love love love love._

 _Oh, oh._

Ino reached out a shy hand, blood still encrusted under her fingernails despite her best efforts. And her dear friend, who had always protected her, took her dainty hand, engulfing it in his large palm.

 _It's no one's fault,_

 _There's no need to do this,_

 _We're just not right for each other._

 _We misunderstood for a moment,_

 _We had a bad dream,_

 _That's how I'm going to think…_

Ino squeezed his hand as best she could, weakly at most, but Chouji didn't seem to mind, simply smiling tenderly at her, hope kindling in his gentle brown eyes.

 _One more day,_

 _If I let go of this hand,_

 _It will fly away,_

 _Love love love love love,_

 _Oh, oh._

 _One more day,_

 _If this race stops,_

 _It will get far away,_

 _Love love love love love,_

 _Oh, oh._

Ino closed her eyes, crystalline drops gathering at the corners of her lash line as memories of her lost love, of Sai, flashed in a blur through her head. Yet, she felt hope blossom in her chest.

 _Tell me, tell me now…_

 _Tell me, tell me how…_

 _Where is the happy ending?_

Hope that grew the longer his hand encapsulated hers.

 _One more day,_

 _My heart is too tired,_

 _Today's the last time,_

 _Love love love love love,_

 _Oh, oh._

 _One more day,_

 _I'm waving toward you,_

 _This is it for me,_

 _Love love love love love,_

 _Oh, oh._

She didn't really care how he got into her cell after their song ended. She didn't bother with the details. She just melted against the solid comfort that was Chouji and closed her eyes. It wasn't perfect, not yet, but it was getting there. They were getting there.

For the first time in a long time, Ino slept with a smile on her face.

 _ **A/N - Oooh, I'm late. I'm very, very late, and I apologize. Things have been busier than usual - I got a job working at a daycare, and while I love it, I also got hellishly sick. I'm just now starting to recover from two weeks of horrible flu-like sickness. I finally finished this chapter - I must admit, Ino is far from my favorite Naruto character; she always seemed a bit over-the-top to me, and I couldn't particularly connect with her personality. I always felt that she almost lived for relationships and drama - I wanted to see what she was like after a particularly harsh rejection. In this case, the end of her budding relationship with Sai, for another woman. I really connect with Chouji, though, for several reasons - he doesn't have the ideal "body" and struggles with that, and he also is a very sweet, supportive character. He had a long-standing crush that didn't come to fruition in the canon, and I decided to change that. So, here you have the result of my labors and my procrastination. I hope you liked this chapter - please drop a review and tell me your thoughts; reviews are kinda like a sudden present that surprises and delights an author. If you got a lovely present each time you wrote a chapter, you'd feel motivation to do it faster, wouldn't you? :) Thank you for keeping up with me, and I apologize for this insanely long A/N! See you next chapter, my darlings!**_


	13. Stay the Night

13 Stay the Night

Night descended, and with it, silence. Her fingers itched. She missed her child, though Iruka was taking good care of her in her own absence. Deep down, past all the guilt, she knew she was doing the right thing, seeking help dealing with her grief. Her hands twitched in her lap, her magenta eyes shifting to land on the piano. She was no master, by any means, but playing held a special place in her heart. It was one of the last things she had enjoyed with him. With her love, Asuma, who was gone.

Kurenai sighed, the sound heavy with melancholy and nostalgia. At the same time, a rueful smile tugged at the corners of her lips. They had thought themselves so careful, tiptoeing about with all the grace of a blind elephant. Upon discovery, they had been so insistent that there was nothing between them, and repeated the cycle. Asuma had always been more embarrassed by the allusions of his comrades, while Kurenai enjoyed the ride and adjusted to their newest stages. It wasn't until one night that their entire situation turned on its head.

She had been so angry, for a time, at being stuck, confined to Konoha while he risked himself daily. She'd been angry until she wasn't, until her brain finally caught up with her heart and impressed the importance of her survival upon her. Finally, her dearest one, her Asuma had been the one to drive the final nail through her uncertain shield. She only wished that she had realized, and cherished, him before he died… to protect her. To protect _them_.

And it had only taken one night.

Her eyes opened; she couldn't recollect when she'd closed them. Yet, though she could see her surroundings, the room was blurry. A trickle of moisture passed down her cheek, and the chamber became significantly less fuzzy. _Oh,_ she thought distantly, _that's why._

Sound filled the empty space as Kurenai's fingers moved deftly across the keys, mixing with a single whisper. " _Asuma… I love you."_

 _I know that we are upside down,_

 _So hold your tongue and hear me out._

 _I know that we were made to break,_

 _So what? I don't mind._

 _You kill the lights, I'll draw the blinds._

 _Don't dull the sparkle in your eyes;_

 _I know that we were made to break,_

 _So what? I don't mind…_

 _Are you gonna stay the night?_

 _Are you gonna stay the night?_

 _Oh…._

 _Are you gonna stay the night?_

 _Are you gonna stay the night?_

 _Doesn't mean we're bound for life!_

 _So…_

 _Are you gonna stay the night?_

A mournful chuckle tore itself from her throat. "I wish we had been bound for life, my love."

 _Are you gonna stay the night?_

 _Doesn't mean we're bound for life!_

 _So…_

 _Are you gonna stay the night?_

 _I am a fire, you're gasoline…_

 _Come pour yourself all over me…_

 _We'll let this place go down in flames_

 _Only one more time._

 _You kill the lights, I'll draw the blinds,_

 _Don't dull the sparkle in your eyes;_

 _I know that we were made to break,_

 _So what? I don't mind!_

 _Are you gonna stay the night?_

 _Are you gonna stay the night?_

 _Oh…_

 _Are you gonna stay the night?_

 _Are you gonna stay the night?_

 _Doesn't mean we're bound for life!_

 _So…_

 _Are you gonna stay the night?_

Her hands were shaking. Discord intruded on her melody as fumbling fingers hit the wrong notes. Yet she couldn't stop. No, the kunoichi couldn't stop yet. This was her closure. This was their last dance. This was her last night with her love, with Asuma. And she'd be damned if she'd let her traitorous digits sully this last echo of their embrace. "Please, my love. Asuma, come to me! Only one more time…!"

 _We get burned…_

 _We never learn…_

 _So..._

 _Are you gonna stay the night?_

 _Are you gonna stay the night?_

 _Are you gonna stay the night?_

 _Doesn't mean we're bound for life!_

 _So…_

 _Are you gonna stay the night…?_

A ghost of a whisper drifted through the room, like an errant wind, circling before touching on her form, hunched over the piano in a trembling mass. " _Kurenai…"_ Her eyes shot open with a gasp, and she straightened abruptly, turning and taking in the chamber with wild hope. Her disarray smoothed into a warm smile.

"Oh, my love…" She breathed, reaching out to the air. A change in pressure met her blind movement, and her chin trembled, eyes gleaming with pearlescent liquid. "Will you stay with me tonight? Give me one last taste of you, darling, before you are taken from me forever?"

A faint chuckle caught her ear. " _Oh, but we were bound for life, darling. I will always be with you, Kurenai… with you and Mirai."_ The curtains shifted by the window, the full moon casting its brilliant silhouette. " _It would be my pleasure to stay the night."_ Clouds covered the moon, but nothing could erase the light of her smile, nor the tears falling from her eyes as she relaxed back into an embrace that was unnoticed by all but those that mattered.

 _ **A/N - At risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm sorry about the wait... There's been family trouble. I hope that this chapter helps me make up for my disappearance off the face of the earth a bit. Thank you for your patience, and please tell me what you thought! Reviews help me write. XOXOXOXO**_


	14. Get Jinxed

14 Get Jinxed

Art and destruction had always gone hand in hand. At least, to him, that was the natural way of things. What better Trojan Horse than a masterpiece of massive destructive power? The thought sent tingles of pleasure down his spine.

Deidara knew _why_ he was here. He suspected that not one of the Akatsuki that had survived didn't understand, on some level, why they were confined in this institution. Apparently, they needed _help_. Tsunade believed she could _fix_ them, as if they were _broken_. Deidara snorted at the thought, his fingers itching with the need to mold clay into his next masterpiece.

Yeah, he knew that somewhere along the line, Akatsuki's path had shifted. But it happened so slowly, subtly changing without their awareness, that by the time they realized what was happening, they were already on a warpath, with Madara, courtesy of Tobi - _no, Obito_ \- at the center of it all. Somehow, he had become just another puppet on a string, and had fallen beside all of them. And when Madara - _that bastard_ \- had finally fallen, alongside his monstrous Ten-Tails, he and the others, barely clinging to life, were taken from the mud and given another chance.

He didn't pretend to understand the logic or reason behind Tsunade's course of action. In all honesty, it baffled him. But he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of that particular piece of knowledge. She could figure it out herself.

Yet, he couldn't help but admit, from what little he'd seen outside this ridiculous _cage_ , that others in this institution were faring much better than they had before. Sure, there was the _special case_ of Sasuke Uchiha, but he'd always been flawed. No amount of sculpting could turn him into a masterpiece. No, Sasuke's firing had happened too soon - there was no salvaging anything from his broken mind.

The slot in his cell rattled as a tray was pushed through. It happened four times a day - despite years of lean meals and gnawing hunger, Tsunade's compassion as a healer overruled her sense as the Godaime Hokage. Thrice a day, meals were delivered, but the fourth delivery was entertainment. Well, when he thought about it, perhaps the others didn't see it quite the same way he did. After all, he was already salivating at the thought of molding art between his fingers.

Though the old hag never delivered the clay he preferred, always unlaced with explosives and tags, Deidara still jumped at the children's clay, boring as it might be. Yet the sensation between his fingers, rolling and thinning as he willed it, filled him with pleasure so intense he thought it possible to drown in it. The joy of creativity could not be understated, he mused. It came only second to the happiness and exasperation of visits with Tobi.

Twisting and smoothing the material, it began to take the shape of his destructive imagination. A grin twisted his face maniacally; Tsunade, for all her planning and perceived superiority, was not as clever or thorough as she cared to think. Despite the ingenuity of the chakra-restraining bracelets on his person, there were always ways to bend or break the limitations imposed. Funnelling explosive chakra through his fingertips was tiring, surely, but also dangerous and exciting. The butterflies began to shift under his ministrations, fluttering their wings. And as the first explosion rocked the cells, weakening bars and destroying doors, Deidara chuckled.

 _ **A/N - Hello, lovelies. Perhaps not the longest update in the history of me, but I've overcome significant life obstacles and general useless writer's block to deliver this chapter. Work is crazy at the moment, with scheduling that is ridiculous on a good day and aggravating on a bad day. As such, after a long shift on my supposed day off, I finished**_ _ **"Get Jinxed"**_ _ **and wanted to share it with all of you as soon as I could. I know it's been a long time, but I am incredibly thankful that you all have waited. I hope that I don't disappoint you - I won't make any promises for scheduled updates, because life and work is only going to get crazier, and after the new year, college begins again.**_

 _ **I hope that you enjoyed Deidara's slightly-longer foray into Heathens - please tell me what you think. I'm often unsure if I keep characters in-character enough... I have trouble separating out motivations at times. It helps immensely to hear thoughts about such things, and even to receive small encouragements and your own thoughts about how I've done.**_

 _ **Thank you for being patient with me. I'll see you next chapter.**_

 _ **AT**_


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